The Meaning Of A Ring
by eirinatakebana
Summary: Wolfram learns about a certain tradition on Earth. YUURAM


**Disclaimer: I DON'T OWN KYOU KARA MAOU!**

**Not my property, no profit made. **

**WARNING: OOC.**

**YUURAM...**

For the vacancies, Yuuri decided to take Wolfram along with him, on Earth. His mother had complained that his son never brought his fiancé and that she had never really spent any good quality time with her future son-in-law. For Yuuri, it'd always been weird that Wolfram considered a marriage between the two; more than once, he'd tried to explain him why he was so reluctant to marry Wolfram. But Wolfram was either dumb, or too stubborn, so that Yuuri was under the impression Wolfram never really listened to him. In actually; as a result, he'd grown used to the idea and even sometimes, some thoughts about that marriage sprung complete into his mind as if it was the most natural thing on Earth.

" Mom has just gone in town with Wolfram. They've been there since this morning," Shori informed Yuuri as the boy made his way down the stairs. The night before, the four boys ( Shori, Yuuri, Wolfram and Murata) had gone to a karaoke club where they'd spent long hours singing and making bets on who was the best singer of the four. Wolfram, in first, had refused quite vehemently to participate, saying that it wasn't suited for a soldier to behave this way. After criticizing Yuuri, and Yuuri insisting with googly eyes, and Murata upsetting his pride, Wolfram had finally given up. The night had ended up with a few drinks and the boys got scolded by Miko when they had come back home.

" Really? I thought he was feeling sick, yesternight, he could barely moved of his own," Yuuri said, surprised. He sat down in front of the kitchen table, and Shori served him his breakfast. Then he seated before his little brother, a glass filled with water in hand.

" So...Why have you decided to do with your fiancé? Tour him in town?"

" Yeah, something like that...Though, Wolfram is...strange. Those last days, he has been acting strange and when I ask him about it, it's as if he couldn't answer me."

" Maybe he's cheating on you," Shori taunted.

Yuuri's eyebrows furrowed.

" I don't allow you to think so low of my fiancé."

" Alright, alright... Forgive your stupid big brother for being so inconsiderate! Perhaps you should lock both of you up in your bedroom and have some serious talk about it. I f I were you, I would do so,and you're the king, so I don't understand why it's so hard for you to force him to listen to you."

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

" Look, Wolf-chan!" exclaimed an excited Miko " those clothes would look so good on you!" she pointed a few dresses exposed behind the glass of a shop. In town, Wolfram didn't go unnoticed and even if it bothered him at the beginning, now, he didn't pay attention anymore. He couldn't help some girls' squeals though.

He looked at the clothes she was showing. Inwardly, Wolfram cringed a little. He didn't always like wearing those kind of stuff, but for Yuuri's mother, he was feeling ready to make some effort. The two had a strong connection, they understood each other quite well. So, instead of a sigh, he offered a smile and soft eyes.

" I'm sure they would," he answered. " Would you like me to try some of them?"

" You would do that?"

" Why not?"

" You're adorable, I couldn't do that with Yuu-chan. He's always saying that I bother him!"

Wolfram smiled again, and entered the shop with her. When he tried them, he looked so beautiful that almost all the people's eyes were glued on him. A man stopped looking at his girlfriend when Wolfram appeared clad in a pink skirt. Of course, it was a little embarrassing, but the boy managed to ignore them quite perfectly. " You must have such a success with people everyday," Miko murmured as she gave him other clothes to try. " I can't help but feel honored that you've chosen Yuuri as your husband."

" I hope he feels as honored as you," he replied.

" He must. That silly boy...sometimes, he doesn't know the luck he owns in his own hands."

Surprised, Wolfram glanced at her but she had already drawn the curtains so that he could change his gears in all discretion. Why did she say that? Did she know about Wolfram more than he thought she did?

A few minutes later, they were out of the shop with one big shopping bag. Then, they headed towards a jewelry shop. Wolfram's eyes marveled at the number of rings, necklaces, pendants that were presented on small white pillows. They shone like tiny suns or moons. Wolfram leaned over to admire them closely.

" Do you prefer gold or silver, Wolf-chan?" asked Miko as she moved closer to him.

The blond felt slightly surprised. In all honesty, he had never thought about it. Never being a fan of jewels, he had never lost time to watch them or buy some of them. But now that he could truly have a look at it, Human beings could really create beautiful things.

" I don't know...though, this one is pretty," he indicated a silver ring that had a smaller golden ring around. Oh, yes, he liked it very much.

" I see."

Wolfram looked sideways at her own ring at her left finger. She'd never parted it from her hand. He wondered what it was.

When she caught sight of his eyes locked on her ring, she smiled softly.

" My husband offered me it for our marriage."

" ...Really?"

" Yes, it's a common tradition of Earth. When two people get engaged and/or get married, they exchanged rings. Sometimes, they've belonged to the family for generations, or sometimes, they have been bought."

" Oh," said Wolfram inwardly, his eyes widening slightly in surprise. He had never thought...

It was painful to think of Yuuri and he now. Betrothed for four years now, Yuuri never mentioned this kind of traditions. Such a small thing could mean a lot in this world. He felt his heart clench as his eyes darkened sadly. _He was not important to Yuuri..._

Miko watched the shadow passed on Wolfram's face. It pained very much and even more, knowing it was her own son who was the reason of Wolfram's sadness. She was tender when she wrapped an arm around his arms. Soothingly, she said as she looked at the ring he liked the most:

" One day, you will know happiness and someone will be the one for you, and if it's not Yuuri, you know what? I'll still be glad for you." She rubbed his arms, a sensation of happiness building inside of her when Wolfram gazed at her with a smile in his eyes. They seemed more vivid. He felt grateful to her.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Yuuri tossed and turned in his bed. Sleep refused to come to him, and he wondered if he should reject the fault either on the meal his brother had tried to cook, or the fact Wolfram had hardly talked to his fiancé all evening long. He felt worried, of course. He would like to know what his blond friend was thinking, and why he obviously kept things hidden from Yuuri.

Despite the curtains had been drawn together, and his fiancé was as silent as a grave, Yuuri didn't think Wolfram was asleep. For a couple of months now, he had easily guessed whether Wolfram slept or not. He pondered very often over this new connection between the two, frowning as he searched very deeply for the reason of this evolution. He might like it as he might find it odd. A long sigh slid out of his lips. He stole a peek at Wolfram, the boy was lying beside him, his back facing his eyes. The pale moonlight reflected upon his frail white shoulder. Wolfram was dressed with silk white pajamas. The bed was tight, so that in normal times, it could only have one person on it, but Yuuri no longer asked Wolfram to sleep elsewhere.

" Wolfram..." he called rather softly. A crow outside answered him with a sinister chirping. "Wolfram..." when the golden-haired boy didn't reply, Yuuri decided to let him at peace and delay their talk for the day after. Though, Wolfram's quiet " what" thwarted his plans.

" Oh, you're not sleeping, finally?"

" Doesn't it show? I'm talking you there."

" Okay, okay..." he didn't know why, buy upon hearing his voice, Yuuri felt better. A smile graced his face. " I just wanted to know...did you spend a good time with mother? Didn't she annoy you? You haven't told anything about it yet. "

He felt instantly a frown and reproach in Wolfram's voice when the blond gave him in answer:

" You should never talk about your mother in such terms, Yuuri. Your mother is a wonderful woman, and no, she didn't annoy me. I think I even had more fun with her today, than when I sang stupidly Earthen songs I don't even know!"

" Jeez, Wolfram...I'm sorry if I have got you upset...it's just that..."

" What?"

Why was Wolfram sounding aggressive?

" You were unusually quiet, that night, during the diner, and even since you came back home from town...it's as if you were avoiding me. When I try to look into your eyes, you avert them."

Wolfram remained silent, but Yuuri felt the blond's nervousness rising. Wolfram's shoulder shook sightly.

" Maybe you're cold and I would gladly cover you up with the blanket but as you seem angry at me, I don't know if I can touch you." The sincerity in those words, eerie and unusual from Yuuri, froze Wolfram. But there was also that guilt that swam together with this eeriness and this sincerity. Guilty for what? He'd like to know now, in spite of the fact he was tired. So Wolfram turned on his side. Their warm bodies touched each one.

" Why would I be angry at you? Tell me."

" I don't know. It's you who should explain me. Wolfram, did I do something wrong? Did..." he bit his lips, fearing to hear the answer. " did I hurt you?"

Wolfram watched the expectancy on Yuuri's face. He was nervous too, his lower lip tortured by his upper teeth as he waited for Wolfram's response. Even his black eyes seemed to move in the darkness.

" That's maybe because you do nothing that I feel this way, Yuuri."

" What?"

" About the engagement."

Yuuri was mature enough not to jump out of bed as he would have done in the early years of their relationship. Instead, his eyes grew larger ( Wolfram guessed it with no difficulty) and he just slightly backed away. Weirdly, this short distance put between themselves allowed the two young men to study each other better. Wolfram laid his eyes on Yuuri's.

Yuuri's silence was getting tiring.

He was disappointed, but he was getting used to the feeling. Yuuri seemed to have developed a severe allergy to the word 'engagement'. Nothing serious could come out of those conversations as long as his fiancé was unable to get over this...this disgust. Wolfram sighed as he tried to swallow his disappointment.

" Just ignore it , Yuuri and sleep. Really, sleep."

" No, Wolfram, no!"

Surprise took him and when a hand rested around his arm, Wolfram couldn't turn his back anymore to his fiancé. At the contrary, he felt attracted to Yuuri, and was forced to look at him. The double black slid closer to the blond.

" I..." he started. " I have really thought about it because I realized it's a part of my life now. I truly did."

" So why have you never tried to talk about it with me? I've been patient, Yuuri. I gave you more time than I have ever given to anyone else. You don't know how much you mean to me!"

Yuuri winced at the desperate accent Wolfram spoke with. The blond continued: " at the end, I was doing nothing that could shock you. I kept all my anger within me, I hide it, so that you can think better of me and that you can eventually...return my feelings..."

" B-But I do think good of you, Wolfram..."

A silence where only their breaths could be heard through the night.

" I do think good of you" he said lowly. " And you've made so much effort that I can't ignore that. And I don't want to, Wolfram. It's my fault, I know, if you think I don't pay any attention to you and the engagement, but it's all that I needed: you persevering and waiting patiently for me. Unconsciously, I knew all that you had done to me. Unconsciously, I strayed from you and I pushed all those feelings away because it scared me. It scared me to know what it meant... I've never been loved this way, as much, as you love me, Wolfram. And to tell you the truth, it really threatens me. I..." he bit his lips harder, his shame playing cruelly with his heart. " I did search for girlfriends who could love me this way, too" his hand tightened around Wolfram's arm for he knew the blond was, now, hurt and was about to move away from him " but I was just lying to myself...I was just wronging myself..."

" So to satisfy your curiosity, you jerk, you were cheating on me?!"

" No!! I have never cheated on you, never!" Yuuri denied with a vehement voice. " I'm just saying you that...several times I was thinking of breaking off the engagement and getting myself a girl and doing all the things a girl and a boy are supposed to do when they date together. I could have done so, Wolfram" he saw the green eyes brim with something wet but Wolfram proudly held back from crying " I could have done so...But do you know why I didn't and will never do so? I never will because I have too much respect for you, Wolfram and I...I think I start to love you. I'm feeling weird about it, but when I look at you, I'm telling myself ' this boy, I will never be able to hurt him, I can't. I want to hold him and try something with him.'"

" Try something? With me?" _he has just said he loved me..._

" Yes...I hope it's not too late, is it?"

Wolfram closed his eyes, blowing on his headache as each word sank in his mind. Yuuri deserved much more credits he had been willing to give him. The boy...even after hurting him...still held his heart and was able to hold him back from leaving. The good with Yuuri was that he made Wolfram smile easily...the bad was that...he didn't know if his heart would heal if Yuuri broke it in thousand of pieces with words only. Yuuri made him so vulnerable, so fragile...His blue sky could become a grey one in a matter of seconds, because of Yuuri, and he wasn't sure to like it.

" You're not saying that to comfort me."

"...No...I say that because I think it's time for you to know about it. As it's much as it's time for me to acknowledge it..."

Not warning Wolfram, Yuuri cupped the nape of his neck and pushed the blond forward to do something he had longed to: to kiss his lips. He melted in their softness, his hand loosening as it slid along Wolfram's jaw in what seemed like a caress. Wolfram was not going to disappear...he could relax and kiss him properly.

As for Wolfram, surprise left place for wonderment and glee. He'd never thought Yuuri would make such a bold move so soon...though after four years, it was more than natural...but not just after this awkward conversation between the two. He didn't dare to move, he feared to break such a beautiful moment between them.

The kiss grew more audacious, their tongues meeting suavely...but it remained shy somewhat and delicate overall...When they parted after a few minutes, Wolfram, eyes shrouded with something mysterious beneath his long dark eyelashes, looked up at Yuuri and realized then, he was lying under his fiancé.

" I love you, too, Yuuri..."

The brunet boy smiled again, very gently and raised a hand to stroke a rebel blond bang. Even if he was himself shaking because of the confession he'd just made, he refused to show it to his fiancé. Now, he wanted to look confident to his eyes. He no longer wanted to cast any doubt in Wolfram's mind. That time...had to end.

" Fine. Because, I too love you."

_About the ring...I wanted to talk about it to him...but I guess it can wait a little longer..._

He felt Yuuri's hand clasping his hand. A smile found its place on Wolfram's face.

_Yes, it can wait..._

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

A few months later, in town.

A dark-haired man and his blond companion were hanging out together, walking through the numerous streets, in that November day.

" The shop is here, Yuuri," the blond indicated as he pulled his fiancé towards a bright jewelry shop.

The said Yuuri opened his eyes wider as the beautiful pieces were presented before him.

" And...where's the ring you wanted to show me, Wolfram?"

" I can't find it anymore..." he said after looking closer with a frown. His disappointment felt so big that Yuuri wrapped his arms around his fiancé. At the same time, he couldn't feel any happier for Wolfram had just, once again, showed interest, in some Earthen traditions.

" It's not a problem..."

" I guess you're right...It was a beautiful ring, no wonder someone else must have already bought it." He turned to Yuuri with a sheepish smile. " It wasn't important, after all."

" But it was, wasn't it?"

" Yes..." they made a few steps but then, Yuuri came to a halt.

" You know what? I'll make one better for you. One made according to my own drawing. Because you are unique, I will make one unique for you."

" Really?" Wolfram was beaming with joy, his earlier disappointment vanishing completely off his face. He took hold of Yuuri's hands.

" Really. Back in Shin Makoku, you'll have it."

And then, he leaned forward to meet his fiancé in a long, sweet kiss, in that crowd of people. They ignored the people around, they forgot them. Their marriage was the only thing they could think of, in that November day.

The End

Eirina


End file.
